Tinning or coating machine.



0. C. ROBERTS." TINNING on comme MAUHINE.

APPLIQATION FILED NDV. 23, 1907.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

o i I for' Zzvelz Zea 61.320 erf l ma w/Sf 644. IIIIIIII-IIIIII-l C. G. ROBERTS. TINNING on GoATING MAOHINB.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 23, 1907.

A6 Z nm 3 Mn, zo ma m To all whom fit-may concern: y Be it known that I, CHARLES C. ROBERTS,l

Vand useful -Improvements in' Tinning ITED( Vs,liArEs PATENT oFF-ion.

CHARLES CQRCBERTS, 0F ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT.

- TINNINGr on calunnie MACHIE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9', 1909.

.Applicationled November 23, 1907. Serial Il'o. 403,515.

a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Ansonia, `in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new or Coating Machines, of which the following is a speci cation. l

This invention Vrelates t0 tinning machine's and embodies an organization of elements which have been particularly devised for tinning metal sheets on one side, though capable of arrangement to -tin thesheets on both sides. l

In referringto the invention as particu'- larly relatin to tinning machines it should not be consi ered that such machine is lim-` ited in its use for tinning plates or sheets of metal, as the machine may be employed with facility for coating sheets or plates with materials 'other than tin; and in the subjoined description the operation of tinning'sheets which will be particularly described` is only intended to demonstrate one of the practical functions of the Pmechanism embodying the features of the invention.

The improved machine is `comparatively simple in its construction, compact, and. capab e of uniformly. and quickly coating sheets or plates with the desired material without waste ofthe coating material and with a superiority in/the coated product.

The machine which will be presently de'- scribed includes in its organization many,

accessories for facilitating the application of the coating of tin or other material'to sheets or plates, but the essential features of the invention consistfin an elevatable and depressible engaging member for the sheet, preferably including adjustable means to accommodate sheets or plates of diierent widths and having a dross guard and clamping straps coperating therewith, the dross guard being valved to admit the coating sheet or dross guard, sheet engaging roll, one of the clamplng straps or members, and one of the collars coperating with the strap or member. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view ofa portion of the dross guard, one of the clamping straps or members, and two of the hanger or supporting rods. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of a portion of the'gearing. Fig. 7 is a detail View of a tilting table forming part of the apparatus.

Similar characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

` 'The numeral 1 designates a suitable frame supported by legs 2 and having a bed 3 over which the sheetsor plates successively move during the coating operation. 'The feed end of the machine 1s provided with a guide 4 and pair of vfeed rollers 5, .the rollers 5 being suitably geared to each other and the t shaft of one equipped witha sprocket wheel 6, which is engaged by a chain belt 7 also engaging a sprocket wheel 8 on a drive shaft 9, .carrying a-suitable band pulley '10. The shaft of the lower roller 5 which carries the sprocket Wheel is also equipped with a suitable-clutch 'or shifting mechanism 11 .having a shifting lever 12, the object of this mechanism being to throw the sprocket wheel '6 into and out of rotatable relation with respect to the shaft of the roller with which it engages.l The purpose of this clutchy or shifting mechanism is to stop and start the machine at intervals for av purpose which will bel more fully hereinafter explained. In advance of the feed rollers5 is a brush roller '13, and ybelow the latter is an acid tank 14 containing brush-rollers 15. Over the rollers 5 and 13 suitable hand-Wheels and gears 16 are mounted for adjusting the4 top roller 5 and the said brush roller 13.

The rollers 5, 13 and15 rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows thereon, and

-the' rollers 13 and 15 are driven at about three times as fast as the speed of movement of the sheet over the bed 3, the roller 13 serving to hold the sheet down on the bed,"

while the rollers-.15 properly apply acid from the tank 14 to the under side of the plate. At an intermediate point under the frame 1 a tin pot or receptacle 17 is mounted and provided. with a heaterl or furnace 18 to `maintain the contents in proper fluld condition. The upper portion of the frame over the tin pot or receptacle 17 has an openmelted tin or other material in the 'adjusted or moved to compensateA fory the endwise `movement or adjustmentl of the parts with which they coperate and which will now be explained. The lower ends of jthe rods 24 are secured in the upper side flanges 27 of a dross guard 28, the latter being of arcuate form and having disposed therein and movable therewith a pair of clamping straps or members 29 and 30, the strap 30 being endwise adjustable. or movable in the dross guard yto accommodate tinning or coatingsheets or plates of various widths, the rods 24 connected to the strap 30 being movable in elongated slots 31 in the dross guard flanges to permit'adjustment of the rods prport1onately to the movement of the strap 30. The clamping straps occupy positions within the dross guard adjacent to the `opposite ends of the latter, and in the center of the lowermost portion of the said guard is a valve I opening 32 having a halfround valve 33 therein which, when turned in one direction, will close the said opening, and when moved in the opposite direction will open the valve opening and permit the pot or receptacle` 17 to pass through the dross guard between the clamping straps. The rods 24 have weighted counterbalancing le-I vers 34 secured to their upper ends and supported on fulcrums 35,'the object of these eounterbalancing levers being to lift the dross guard and clamping straps 29 and 30 clear of the tin or other molten material withinthe pot or receptacle 17. The collars on the rods 24 serve as stop means to vprevent the rods from elevating above a predetermined point, .and the degree of elevation of the clamping straps and dross guard Will be. only to such an extent as to permit the said guard and straps to clear the y. molten material 'in the pot or receptacle 17.v

Coperating with the -dross guard and clamping straps just explained is a tinningor coating roller 36 keyed on a shaft 37 and adjacent to the opposite ends of this roller are collars 38 and 39, the collar 38 being stationary on the shaft 37 and the collar 39 adjustable to and from the adjacent end of the roller 36. Both collars are circumferentially grooved, as at 40, near their outer ends to receive the upstanding members a of the clamping straps, the col lars rotating with the shaft 37 and having threads or corrugations 41 at points inward from the grooves 40 to engage similar threads or corrugations on the horizontal portions 30b of the clamping straps so as to insure the formation of a tight joint between the straps and collars to prevent leakage of theftinning or coating material above the lower side of the plate or sheet operated upon or receiving the coating on one side thereof. The shaft 37 together with the roller 35 and collars 38 and 39 is vertically movable, suitable rack-bars 43 being attached to the bearings and vertically movable through the top plate 23 on which are disposed pinions 44 held by a shaft 45, which is driven by a hand-wheel 46 to raise and lower the shaft 37, roller 36 and collars 38 and 39.

The shaft 37 with the parts disposed thereon `as described, and particularly the roller 36, is elevatable by the racks 43 above the plane of the bed 3 so as to permit the sheet or plate fed over the bed to come fully under the said roller 36 and the collars 38 and 39 prior to a depression of the said plate into the tinning or coating bath. WhenI the shaft carrying the roller 36 and collars 3S and 39 is depressed, the weight of the same and the'parts just specified is sulli* cient to overcome the counterbalaneing Weighted levers 34 attached to the rods 24; and when the roller 36 and its shaft and cooperating collars are lowered into the dross guard the latter is depressed with the roller 36, shaft 37 and collars 33 and 39, and will be maintained in depressed condition until the weight pressure of the roller 36, shaft 37, and collars 38 and 39 is relieved therefrom, and as soon as this relief ensues the counterbalancing weighted levers 34 will -cause the dross guard and clamping straps carried thereby to move upwardly clear of the tinning or coating bath, but the collars 25 will limit the upward movement of the dross guard and clamping straps and hold the latter below the bed 3 to insure an accurate disposition of the plate or sheet to be coated or tinned over the dross guard and clamping straps or between the latter, the roller 36 and the collars 38 and 39.

When the plate or sheet to be tinned or coated is properly positioned between the roller 36, collars 3S and 39 and the dross guard and clamping straps, the shaft 37 with the parts mounted thereon is lowered, thus forcing t-he metal sheet or plate downwardly therewith into the dross guard'and in such position that the opposite side edges thereof will be engaged by the inner opposing ends of the lower horizontal members of the clamping straps and in which position the upper side of the plate or sheet to be tinned or coated is lprotected and the tinning or coating material is prevented from flowing thereover by the clamping straps.

will, however, be engaged by the fluid tin` ning or coating material as soon as the valve 33 is opelfed, the latter havingA a lever`33a for conveniently operating the same The sheet metal plate when depressed by the shaft 37 ,roller'36 and collars 38 'and 39 into the dross guard and between the clamping straps 29 and 30l will be moved or fed through the dross guard between the clamping straps by rotation of the shaft 37, roller 36, and collars 38 and 39, the direction of movement of the roller being lfrom left to right so as to feed 4the metal lsheet or plate upwardly towards the guide roller 21, and in this upward movement of the coat-ed sheet or plate the surplus tinning or coating material. is removed A.from the plate by a scraper 47 held on a projection 48 attached (to or forming part of the tank 17, the said scraper being held in normal position by a spring 49, and is adjustable to and fromthe dross guard and coated sheet by a stem 47a, forming part of the scraper, movably held in a slot 48a in the projection 48, and the stem 47a is 'engaged' by a clamping hand wheel 49a. is to clear the saine from contact with the dross guard when necessary. The surplus tinning or coating material scraped from y the sheetl or plate falls back into the dross guard and the sheet or plate after` passing the scraper is engaged with the guide roller 21 and from the latter moves over a tilting table 50 and between wiping brushes 51 disposed above and below an opening 52 in the bed 3, and then passes on through a pair of pulling rollers 53 from whence it is taken in completed condition, or it may be submitted to other treatments, if desired. b v other machinery or devices. The tilting'table 50 is very effective in properly directing the sheet after it leaves the tinning or coating bath.

It will be understood that ythe wiping brushes are revolving against the sheet nor in a direction reverse to the feeding movement of the sheet and when thefirst sheet is run' through the machine the upper .or top brush 51 is raised high enough so that it will not strike the advancingfront end vot the sheet. f The table 50 is tipped up' through the medium of the handle 50al at one end so that the front end of the sheet will notstrikethe lower brush 51. If the advancing sheet did not strike. the lower brush 51 it is obvious that the progress of the sheetwould be repelled and result in a doubling up or bending 'of the sheet. After theKsheet is directed between the brushes 51 'the upper brush is lowered to bear hard on the sheet so as to cause the bottom brush 51 r to effectively wipe the adjacent coated side of the sheet and have a forceful bear/ing and continuous Contact with the said side of the sheet. The brushes 51 are always revolving The purpose of adjusting the scraper' when'a .sheet is fed between them, and the upper b rush serves as a pressure means to keep the sheet fully in contact with the lower brush. When the sheet is brought down flat on the bed of the machine between thel brushes 51, the tilting table 50 flssumes its normal position as shown by iig. 1.

The shaft 9 is provided with a ,gear 54, as shown by Fig. 6, meshing with a corresponding gear 55 of the'upper pulling roller 53, the said shaft'9 direct-ly operating the lower pulling' roller. The shaft 9 also has a gear 56 thereon 'of greater diameter and consequently slower speed than the j adjacent gear 54, the said gear 56 meshing with a gear 57 on the shaft of the lower wiping brush 51, the upper wiping` brush 51 having a gear 58 of the same dimensions as` the gear 57 and meshing with the latter. yIn view of the difference in dimensions between the gears 56 andl 57, -the gear 57 being much smaller than the gear 56, the speed of rotation of-the brushes 51 is greatly increased as compared tothe feed movement of the 4sheet, and the upper brush 51 operates to hold the sheet down on the bed of the machine for practical engagement with the lower brush 51.

The shaft 37 is rotated by a sprocket wheel 59 engaged by avchain belt 60 also. surrounding the sprocket wheel 61 on the end of the shaft of theupperpull roller 53, it being obviously apparent that the shaft 37 may be raised and lowered withoutvinterfering with the operating mechanism just explained. for the reason that the chain belt 60 will swing on the sprocket wheel 61 after the manner of a fulcrum.

As shown by Fig. 2, the shaft of the lower lfeed roll, and `indicated by 11a, constitutes the main driving elementl at the feed end of the machine, Vthe upper roller 5 being geared to the lower roller 5, as at 62. The shaft 11al also carries thereon a sprocket wheel 63, and the 4adjacent lower acid roller 15 hasl its shaft Aalso provided with a sprocket wheel 64, the sprocket wheels 63 and 64 being engaged by a chain belt The remaining roller 15-and the upper roller 13 are geared to theroller 15 carrying the sprocket wheel 64, as at 66. The brushes or brush cylinders 51 and the'pulling rollers, 53 are provided with suitable gears and hand wheels 67, similar to the` gears and hand wheels 16, for raising the upper brush or brush cylinder '51 and pulling roller 53.

.In starting the machine it will be understood that a dummy plate or sheet is fed f this time a second sheet or plate to be coated will have reached. and extend across the opening 19 inposition, to be depressed into the dross guard 28 by the roll 36, and after said plate sheet to be coated is so depressed Vthe scraper47 ,will be moved up into engag- `ing position with respect to the said plate or sheetto be coated and at a proper interval a connection will be made between the inner extremity of the dummy plate and the adjacent end of the coated plate.- All of the succeeding plates of a given width which are fed into the machinewill be connected up in a manner similar to the connection between the dummy plate vand the lirst plate fed thereafter to receive the coating material, care being taken to have the shoulders, or edges of the joints uppermost or to present as smooth an under surface as possible to pass the scraper. In other words the jointsA between the several connected platesl or sheets areso disposed as not\to form an obstruction with relation to the scraper.

The rst vpair of rollers 5 and the last pair vof rollers 53 have on the top portions of their boxes or bearings aldished spring device 68, one on each box or bearing. The rollers just specified are normally screwed down or brought in such close relation as to effectively feedfthe plates or sheets interposed there-between, butwhen any unusual thickness comes between thev said rollers, suchas the joints of the coupled plates or sheetsto be coated, the upper rollers will yield suliiciently through the lmedium of the dished spring devices 68 to permit the said f joints to pass betweenv the said rollers.

vThe feeding operation will be so conducted that the several sheets 'to be coated will be disposed regularly over the opening 19 in the' bed 3 for engagement with and depression by the roll 36and-collars 38 and 39 into the dross guard and clamping straps or members 29 and 30. When the successive sheetsare depressed into the dross guard 28 the opposite 's1de edges thereof wilLbe-.held tightly between the threads or corrugations of the collars 38 and 39 and the clamping straps or members 29 and 30, as shown by Fig. 4, and bythis means the liquid tin or coating material flowing upwardly into the )dross guard against the underside of -each ,Sheet will -be prevented from leaking through the joint thus formed at the side edges of each sheet, and thus provide' for coating-the 'several sheets on one side only. The inden- 'tations thatmay be made in the side edges of the sheets by the coacting threads or corrugations and grooves of tlie collars 38 and 39 and the clamping straps or members 29 'and 30 will be so small in actualpracti'ce that they will disappear or be rolled out after the sheet has passedI through the pulling rollers 53. Furthermore, the side" edge portionsof the sheet' whichdo' notl becdme coated by reason of their engagement and inclosure between the clamping members or straps 29 and 30 and the collars 38 and 39 will be acted upon by the wiping brushes or brush cylinders 5l, and the uncoated edge portions ofthe sheet will be coated by the said brushes drawing out a portion of the moist coating material from the intermediate parts of the sheets which have been fully `exposed in the dross guard to the liquid or coating material.

It will be understood that in the operation of coating the several sheets the valve 33 in the bottom or lower central portion of the dross guard will be opened and closed at intervals for obvious reasons.

s vlhile the improved machine has been particularly constructed and is adapted to coat metalplates or sheets on one side only, it is possible to adapt the machine fo'r coating'sheets on both sides, and for this purposea suitable acid feeding pipe is arranged in cperative relation with the upper brush orbrush cylinder` 13, and the dross guard, together with the clamping straps or members carried thereby, are removed, asswell as the rods 24 and counterbalancing levers 3/1. The most important feature of the invention, however, is the dross guard and its cooperating parts, particularly in View of the Well known disadvantages and detriments to coating operations due to the exposure of the sheets or plates to the dross gathering on the melted tin or coating material. It will be seen. that. the dross guard depresses below the upper 'level of the liquid tin or coating material at a pointto permit the coating 1raterial to flow into`the guard and befree of anyportion of the dross with the material advantage that the coat will be more evenly and regularlyvapplied and a sheet of greater commercial value will be produced.

A particular formi of driving mechanism for the several parts has been shown and described, but it will be understood that the ,mode of gearing up the several'rotary elcments may be modilied at will. It will also bev understood.- that when the successive plates or sheets arebrought into proper position over the opening 19 the driving meeh- `a`nism will be controlled through the medium ofthe shifting 'devices specifedtocause a cessation ofthe feed, such stoppage of the feed ensuing at regular intervals when the successive sheets or plates are depressed into the dross guard. Immediately after the several sheets have been properly lowered into the dross guard and the latter moved down, together; vwith the roll- 36 within the liquid tin orcoating material in the tank or receptacle'l?, the feed of the several sheets is again set up. l

Wfhen the collar 39 and adjacent clamping member or strap 30 are adjusted to compensate for sheets or plates varying in width,

the rods 24 are moved simultaneously with the said clamping member or strap in the slots 26 of the plate 23, and theweighted `levers 34 connected to the rods 24 coperating with the clamping member or strap 30 are likewise adjusted by shifting the fulcrums or supports 35 for the said levers or lever, as thecase may be. The shifting of the fulcrum or support 35 just specified may be accomplished in many lways, but will be l' preferably'pursued by loosening the fastentop plate 23, as shown b ing bolts or other means holding the fulcrum or support and moving the latter a distance corresponding to the adjustment of the collar 3Q land clamping member or strap 30. These boltsl indicated by the numeral 67a may project through suitable slots 68a in the lines. It is also obvious that the weighted levers 34 may be of the form shown, or-' otherwise constructed, there being no limitation'as to vthe exact form of sald levers so long asv they perform their desired function, andv which is to counterbalance the dross guard and clamping straps or members.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, is: l

.1. In a machine of the class specified, a

coating receptacle, feeding mechanism, a

vertically movable sheet depressing means involving a roll which is rotatable at inter-` vals, and mechanism for rotating the said roll at intervals.

2. 'Ina machine of the class specified, a coating receptacle, feeding mechanism, and vertically movable depressing means consisting of a roll and dross guard.

3. In' a machine of'theclassspeciied, a

coating receptacle, a feeding mechanism, and

sheet depressing mea-ns consistingof a roll and avalved dross guard.

4. n a machine of the class specified, a coating receptacle, feed mechanism, and a sheet depressing means consisting of a roll and a dross guard having vertical movement,

the roll being, rotatable at intervals and the sheet moving between the roll -and dr oss guard. p

5. 1n a machine of the-class specied, a

table, a coating receptacle for treating metal ing the roll- While depressed into the receptacle to feed the sheets engaged thereby.

6. In a machine of the class specified, a

receptacle containing coating material, an

elevatable and depressible roll cooperating withtthe receptacle, and adjustable means 1n operative relation to thexsaid roll for accommodating sheets of different widths.

' einem receptacle for coating material, a vertically Fig. 3 in dotted 7. In a machine of the class specified a movable lsheet depressing' roll coperating with the said receptacle, and .a vertically movable dross guard to coact With the roll,

the roll and dross guard being elevatable tol di'ierent heights with relation to the receptacle.

8. In a machine of the class specified, a receptacle for containing coating material,

-an elevatable and depressible vroll coperating with the receptacle, and an automatically elevating dross guard coactingwith the roll. y

9. 1n a machine of the class specified, a receptacle for containing coating material,

an elevatable and depressible roll coperating with the receptacle, and a vertically inovablydross guard coacting with the roll and having a valve in its lower portion.

10. ln 'a machine of the class specified, a

receptacle. for coating material, an elevat-l able and depressible roll for forcing sheets down into the receptacle, a dross guard cooperating with t-he roll and also having vertical movement, and clamping members movable with the dross guard and coperating with portions of the roll, the dross guard being provided with means for admitting the coating material in the receptacle to liow thereinto.

11. In a machine of the class speciedll combination of a receptacle for coating material, a vertically movable roll for depressing vsheets into the receptacle, collars coperating with the roll, a vertically movable dross guard ooacting with the roll and having a lower valve, and clamping members movable with the dross guard and coperative with the collars to'hold a sheet and prevent the coating material from engaging the upper side of the sheet. l

12. In a machineof the class specified, a receptacle for coat-ingf material, a vertically movable roll vfor depressing sheets into the coating material, a-vertically. movable drossguard coactfing with the roll and provided with a lower valved inlet means, and means coperating with the roll and dross guard for holding individual sheets and preventing the coating material from flowing over the top of the sheet. i

13. In a machine of the class specie'd, a

vcoating receptacle, a vertically movable roll for depressing sheets int-o the receptacle, a dross guard carrying clamping members and havinga lower valved opening, the dross guard being also vertically movable, collars arrangedl adj acent to opposite ,extremities ofv the roll, one of)the collars being adjustable, clamping members carried by the dross guard and coactin with the collars, one of the 'clamping mem ers bein adjustable, and means for raising and 'lowering the roll, collars, andl the dross guard.

14. In a machine of the class specied, a coating receptacle, a vertically movable roll for depressing sheets into the receptacle, a dross guard having a vertical movement and also provided with a lower valved opening, means for limiting the upward movement of the drossa guard, and means for raising and lowering the roll.

15. In a machine of the class specified, a coating receptacle, an elevatable and de ressible roll coperating with the receptac e, a vertically movable dross` guard coacting with the roll and having a lower valved opening, the dross guard being depressed by the roll when the lat-ter is moved downwardly, and means for operating the roll.

16. In a-machine of the class specified, a coating receptacle, an elevatable and depressible roll coperating with the receptacle,

and a vertically movable dross gua-rd coacting with the roll and having a valved opening, the dross 4guard being depressed into the receptacle by the depression of the roll.

17. In a machine of the class specified, an elevatable and de ressible roll, a coating receptacle with which the roll coperates, a vertically movable dross guard coacting'with the roll, and counterbalancing weight means connected to the dross guard and operating to automatically elevate the latter when disengaged from th'e roll, the dross guard being lowered into the receptacle by the depression of the roll against the resistance of the coun- Aterbalancing weight means.

18. In a machine of the class specified, an elevatable and depressible roll, a coating receptacle with which the roll coperates, a vertically movable dross guard coacting with the roll, and means coperating with the roll and in part carried by the dross guard for preventing the coating material engaging the upper side of a sheet depressed by the rollinto the dross guard.

19. In a machine of the class specifiedya coating receptacle, sheet feeding, acid applying and wiping devices, a sheet depressing roll movably disposed over the receptacle, a

A dross guard vertically movable with relation to the receptacle and coacting` with the roll, the dross guard being provided with a valved opening, and means for operating the roll and dross guard.

20. In a machine of the class specied, a

coating receptacle, a vertically movable shaft carrying a roll and collars and disposed over the said receptacle, and means for raising and lowering and for rotating the shaft and the roll and collars on the latter.

21.. In a machine of the class specified, a coating receptacle, a vertically movableshaft carrying a roll anddisposed over and depressible into the said receptacle, the shaft and roll also being elevatable above the receptacle, rack bars connected to the shaft, means for operating the rack bars to raise and lower the shaft and roll, and means for positively rotating the shaft and roll. at intervals to impart a feeding movement to the latter.

22. In a machine of thevclass specified, a coating receptacle and a vertically movable sheet engaging roll disposed over and depressible into the receptacle and provided with means for giving it -a positive rotating feeding movement while in the receptacle.

`23. In a machine of the class specified, a coating receptacle, a scraper movably held adjacent to said coating receptacle, feeding, acid applying and wiping devices, and means over the receptacle for depressing a sheet, thesheet when depressed being in and clamping devices carried by and mov-` able with the said sheet depressing means.

27. In a machine of the class specified, a

coating receptacle, sheet depressing means, and sheet engaging devices carried by and vertically movable with the sheet depressing means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES C. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

AUSTIN P. KIRKHAM, WILLIAM H. J ACIILIN. 

